Getting A Good Look At Lake Lure

Lake Lure, North Carolina is an interesting man-made lake in a touristy part of North Carolina, but the view from a kayak or paddleboard on the lake is fantastic. We rented from Lake Lure Adventures, which I highly recommend. The water is very deep like you would expect from a valley filled with water, but I wasn't prepared for how pretty and clear the water was...no vegetation at all. I'd have a hard time figuring out where to fish, but some reading on the subject said to fish around the docks while they were in the sunlight. The best part of the journey was viewing the mountains in the background and voting on which mansion we would pick to live in, if money was no object. Next time, I'm dragging my gear up there, because I could go on that lake every day and be okay with the time spend not riding in a car!

Next Time I'm Bringing My Fly Rod!

A Very Smart Person decided to hang a giant KEEN sign in front of his fly fishing shop. It pulled my wife into the store just like a tasty bait on the end of a fishing line. We haven't walked past too many shoe stores on any trip, and we never pass a KEEN store. However, this store also contained the most fly fishing stuff I have ever seen in my life. Bass Pro? Pfffft! The store is in Biltmore Village, NC and is one of several locations for CurtisWright Outfitters. Josh knew I was just browsing, not doing any fishing on this trip, but he was interested in my attempts to get a largemouth bass on a flyrod from my paddleboard back home in Florida. My wife skipped on the shoes, but somehow I left the store with an armload of flies and a wealth of knowledge about Flies. Next trip, I'm going to hire Josh to take me out to the coldest stream they have and go after one of those legendary 4" bream that lurk in the depths of North Carolina streams!

The Cavern in North Carolina

We took a short trip to the mountains of Carolina this April and while we have been excited about Kayaking, biking and fishing, the weather has been favoring inside activities. A visit to the Caverns in Linville is well worth the expense, which is $8 a person for a guided tour. The tour goes 700 feet back into the mountain and was plenty for me. You get some history about how the cavern was discovered some science about the formations. My interest was more in how the construction inside the cavern was done.

We were told that divers came in at one point and tried to swim down into the hole and were stopped about 30 feet deep by the tight quarters. A line was dropped 250 feet and never hit bottom. Part of the tour includes a walk over that hole on a metal grate, and I was trying to imagine the first person that found that hole...

There was another part of the tour where we were told to make sure we cleaned our feet when leaving the cavern. We were to use a bleach-soaked mat at the end. I started wondering what evil algae growth would be unleashed upon the world if somebody forgot to clean their feet...

Good Waves, and the Paddle Meets the Elbow

I spent a few hours out yesterday on a Postcard-perfect Florida beach day. The sun was hot, the breeze was cool, the water clear and...there were a million vacationers there to celebrate the day with us. I realized as I stood there on the beach, that this is the Florida they know...we know it's: so hot you have to put a towel on the steering wheel of your car, and the sand is so hot that anybody seen barefoot in the dunes, must not be a local.
We went to try out this new paddle, which is wide at the bottom and thinner in the tube section. It worked great and as long as it stays in one piece, this is my new first paddle. I'm also working on my form, as I have found that my tennis elbow issues were not due to lifting weights, but my gonzo "gotta get the wave" paddling. I need to remember that with a carbon fiber paddle...it's not gonna bend, and my body will. I almost kept myself from paddling like a maniac and I'm not quite as sore today...someday I will learn...

A Beautiful morning on the Lake

Leo and I hit the water this morning and enjoyed glassy, clear water and a leisurely paddle through a few of the lakes in the Winter Park chain. There were a number of other kayakers and paddleboarders about, all smiling their way through the best part of a Tuesday morning. I always enjoy launching from Dinky Dock and plan to be there again soon...join me as we get an up close and personal look at the yard men of the rich and famous homes that line the lakes. Today I realized why my yard never looks as good as these mansions I paddle by: I don't have a crew of 6 working every day on it!

It's April And Time To Hit The Water!

You couldn't ask for a nicer morning today. Glassy water, it's warm, but not too warm, and we have enough time to have a little relaxation mixed in with exercise on the lake. Taylor and Aly are naturals on the paddleboard and I'm sure we will be back out again soon. The Winter Park chain of lakes just offers so much variety of things to see, not including the fantastic and expensive homes that line the shore.

If this looks like fun to you, I'm now available 7 days a week for tours. I can take up to 4 people at $50 per person for a two hour trip. We can do whatever you are up for from endurance to just having fun. This is the time to do it, the water is as clear as the springs and it's not toooo hot. I paddled 90 minutes today without sweating...a couple of months from now, we will be sweating walking from the car!